Automatic button drilling machine



April 27,1937.

F. A. RICHARDS AUTOMATIC BUTTON DRILLING MACHINE Filed 001;. 26, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY April 27, 1937. F. A. RICHARDS 2,073,419

AUTOMATIC BUTTON DRILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 w l/II/ VIII,

INVENTOR ATTORNEY I April 27, 1937. F. A. RICHARDS 2,073,410

AUTOMATIC BUTTON DRILLING MACHINE Filed Oct. 26, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet s r-vwg 7 siilfi7lir'i ll/lll/lllllllll/llllllllllllllllllllllllll/ l l INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1937 AUTOMATIC BUTTON DRILLING MACHINE Frank A. Richards, Scranton, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Consolidated Molded Products Corporation Application October 26, 1935, Serial No. 46,860

6 Claims.

This invention is an automatic button drilling machine. It may be used for drilling holes in other objects than buttons and has particular utility where a large supply of uniform-sized objects, such as disks, having pre-formed counter bores are to be drilled uniformly at the point of the counter bores.

In molding buttons of phenolic and urea materials, the composition is in a liquid state during part of the time the material is in the mold. For this reason, it has been found impractical to form the buttons with completed holes. They are commonly molded with counter bores where the holes are to be, leaving a thin diaphragm which must be drilled through in completing the button. Formerly, this drilling operation was performed by hand, making a relatively expensive operation.

By my invention, buttons molded or otherwise pre-formed with counter bores are automatically drilled.

This operation requires that each button be positioned so that the drills enter the counter bores. I accomplish this by providing a step rotated horizontal table having receptacles for holding single buttons, a positioning device for correcting the position of each button prior to its placement under the drill, and a multiple drill chuck arranged so that each individual drill enters the proper counter bore, the button'being temporarily clamped in place for the drilling.

In the drawings Figure l is a perspective view of the entire machine.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, of the button positioning element taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, partly in section, of the drill, taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the mechanism for holding the table temporarily against rotation.

A rotary table 9 is mounted for horizontal rotation above a bed It is formed with receptacles |2 conforming to the surface of the buttons to be handled. The table is arranged to be rotated step by step through a ratchet l3 actuated by a pawl I4 which is moved by a pusher l5, in turn reciprocated by a cam l6 keyed to shaft This shaft is driven from any suitable power source through belt l8 and pulley l9. Pusher I is retracted by spring |5a. The table is also formed with spaced notches in its periphery adapted to be engaged by a lug 2| which moves into and out of engagement with the notches, its function being to hold the table II] against rotation during periods of rest. Lug 2| is advanced (see Fig. 4) by cam 23 on shaft engaging roller 22 on an extension of the lug 2|, being retracted 5 by spring 31. The lug reciprocates in a slide bearing 24.

Buttons are supplied either by hand or otherwise, one button being placed in each of the receptacles 2. The progress of the receptacles 19 is an intermittent movement in step equal to the spacing between centers of adjacent receptacles. The table illustrated may be replaced with a table having receptacles of different sizes .and shapes to accommodate different size buttons or other 15 objects to be drilled.

As placed in the receptacles, the buttons may or may not be in correct position for drilling. Most of the time they will not be. The device shown in detail in Figure 2, operates during the dwell of the intermittent rotation of table ID to rotate each button to an indexed position. I will refer to this generally as the centering device 25. A shank 26 reciprocates vertically in a fixed bracket 21. The shank is centered over 25 the button receptacle and has prongs 26a protruding, corresponding to the size and arrangement of counter bores in the buttons. The motion of this shank 26, after the receptacle comes to dwell, is a lowering and rotating, the prongs engaging the counter bores and bringing the button to rest in an indexed position and then, having stopped rotating, rising to disengage from the button. Thus the button is left in a position with the counter bores properly located to receive the drills hereinafter described.

The complex motion of shank 26 is derived from cams 28 and 29, cam 28 effecting the rotation and cam 29 the lowering and rising movement. These cams are keyed to a shaft 30 which is driven through gears by the shaft IT. The central portion of the shank 26 is fluted with pinion teeth to form a gear in mesh with a rack 3| and this rack is reciprocated through a fixed distance of travel by cam 28 engaging a pusher 32. The 45 distance of travel is so related to the position of the prongs 28 that the prongs have positioned the button at the end of the movement of the rack 3|.

Until the period of dwell, the shank 26 has 5 been elevated above the button. During the period of dwell and while the shank is being rotated by rack 3|, the shank is lowered so that the prongs contact the button by rotation of cam 29 operating on follower 33. This follower 55 is fulcrumed at point 34. The shank 26 has a bore 261) in which there is .a spindle 26c keyed for limited sliding movement with the shank and holding the prongs 26a. The spindle is yieldably extended by spring 26d. This connection between follower 33 and shank 26 as illustrated functions to lower the shank upon the button without exerting sufii'cient pressure to break the button. As the shank advances and rotates, the prongs will find the counter bores and the efiort of the spring will cause the prongs to enter the counter bores to complete the positioning of the button.

Follower 33 is counter-weighted at 4| to raise shank 26 after the cams major radius has passed.

The button, having been correctly positioned, comes to dwell under the drilling mechanism. Two primary functions here occur:

The button is held firmly in place by pressure of a sliding block 5, and drills 46 descend through the block to drill through the button.

The drills operate out of a conventional multiple chuck 4T, furnished power by a motor 48 delivered through belt 49, pulley 5t and spindle 5|. A drill mechanism bracket 52, forming an extension of the bed i I, supports the drill mechanism.

While the table dwells, a cam presents its major radius and raises a follower El and consequently pushes rod 62 through a predetermined stroke. At the same time, it compresses spring 63, which yieldably raises a block 64 pivoted to an arm 65 fulcrumed at 66. This upward movement of the block 64 continues until retarded by sliding block 45 coming in contact with the button at rest under the station for the purpose of holding the button stationary.

Rod '62 continues to ascend, and through arms 10, fulcrumed at H, depresses the drill chuck 41 so that the drills 56 drill through the button.

A spring 65 anchored in the bed I! pulls the drillsout of operating position as the minor radius of the cam comes into play.

After being drilled, the buttons are removed from the table, preferably when the receptacle dwells before an air jet, which blows the buttons off into a delivery chute.

What I claim is:

l. A feed for a machine for drilling buttons and the like of the type that have counterbores to mark the point of drilling comprising, a button support to hold-and present a button beneath a drill, and a centering device to partially rotate the button to bring the counterbores in line with l the boring elements of the drill, the centering device including one or more prongs adapted to enter the counterbores, and mechanism to move the prongs to and from a'button located on the support to rotate the prongs around a predetermined center and to stop the rotation at a predetermined limit of travel.

2. In a machine for drilling buttons and'the like, a feed comprising a button support adapted to be step-rotated and to hold and present a button beneath a drill during periods of rest,

and a centering device to partially rotate the button in order to bring a predetermined point on the button in line with the boring elements of the drill, the centering device including one or more members adapted to engage the button, and mechanism to rotate the members around a predetermined center and to stop the rotation at a predetermined limit of travel.

3. In a machine for drilling buttons and the like of the type that have counterbores to mark the point of drilling, a button support to hold and present a button beneath a drill, and a centering device to partially rotate the button to bring the oounterbores in line with the boring elements of the drill, the centering device including one or more prongs adapted to enter the counterbores, and mechanism to yieldably move the prongs to and from a button located on the support, to rotate the prongs around a predetermined center and to stop the rotation at a predetermined limit of travel.

4. In .a machine for drilling buttons and the like of the type that have counterbores to mark the point of drilling, a button support to hold and present a button beneath a drill, and a centering device to partially rotate the button to bring the counterbores in line with the boring elements of the drill, the centering device cOmprising a slidable member and one or more prongs on the slidablemember adapted to enter the counterbores, and mechanism to yieldably move the prongs to and from a button located on the support, to rotate the prongs around a predetermined center and to stop the rotation at a predetermined limit of travel, the mechanism including a cam to advance and retract the slidable member.

5. A feed for a machine for drilling buttons and the like of the type that have counterbores to mark the point of drilling comprising a button support to hold and present a button beneath a drill, and a centering device to partially rotate the button to bring the counterbores in line with the boring elements of the drill, the

centering device including one or more prongs adapted to enter the counterbores, and mechanism to move the prongs to and from a button located on the support, to rotate the prongs around a predetermined center and to stop the rotation at a predetermined limit of travel, the mechanism including a vertically reciprocable fluted shank, and a horizontally reciprocablegear rack meshing therewith and having limited movement.

6. In a machine for drilling buttons and the like of the type having ,counterborestomark the point of drilling, a button support to hold and present a button beneath'a drill, and a centering device including one or more prongs adapted to enter the'counterbores in the button andto partially rotate the button to bring the counterbores in line with the boring elements .of the drill.

FRANK A. RICHARDS. 

